I didn’t interpret the question as you have. I was thinking of individual relationships we form with people online, not our relationship with online acquaintances in general.
1 Like
Sorry for your loss Maree.
My husband constantly tells me that online people aren’t really people but I disagree with him.
Friendships come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes building a relationship over time with others without meeting them in person has many benefits. It allows people freedom from anxiety that might come from meeting others face to face.
It offers time to get to know others with no pressure. The quality of friendship would partly depend on you and partly depend on the other. With time, genuine friendship can occur. Absolutely.
I’ met a woman from Scotland who later I met in person. It was a great relationship that lasted for years. Plus I have several friend I keep in touch with off forum.
3 Likes
Sorry for your loss, Maree.
I think human connection can come in many different forms. Since humans are hard wired for connection, it’s up to them to define it.
Don’t mean to sound so clinical but the words ''friends" and “relationships” are more defined by society. Connection is defined by the individual and what works for them.
1 Like
I to Maree, have heard of on line ‘friends’ who have passed. I to was upset on hearing, it is very sad even if you have never met in real life.
Pen pals also, though in most cases a family member has written to tell me. A few just stopped writing which was also sad, to think they had no relatives to let others know, or those relatives possible didn’t care to inform the people the diseased wrote to.
The older I get the more it is happening as most of my pen pals are/were around my age.
I have also met several pen pals & on line pals in real life & mostly have got on with them, with the exception of two, one a pen pal the other from the net, both difficult characters, which did come over in their writing & on line, but I didn’t ‘hear’ it.
On line “friends” are, at best, acquaintances. (If you meet them that is a different matter)
Recently a Youtube content character called Camo Dave passed away unexpectantly while it was sad and messed up my daily Youtube habits it wasn’t the end of the world for me (though it was for him)
Everyone on here is a real person but will be putting forward some kind of facade which they wish to project for some reason or another and not always for egregious purposes. I think this reflects the way most people are face to face anyway which is why I’m sure many of us are sometimes surprised to hear about new unknown things about our friends at their funerals, which seem to be happening a bit too often for my liking nowadays.
So I think our online friends are real friends since although we may never meet they fill something useful within us, make us think, tell us how it is warts and all, support us as they can and so on. What else does someone have to do to be a friend, apart from bake us a cake, meet up for lunch and go Dutch with the bill?
2 Likes
When I try to be useful by drawing people’s attention to their warts, I am very rarely rewarded for my efforts. It’s a thankless task. 
2 Likes
Yes, I have seen some of your efforts. Perhaps a bit too acerbic in style at times?
And perhaps not acerbic enough at other times, but one dare only go so far.
3 Likes
It is a difficult wire to balance on
And I have fallen from it more than once. 
2 Likes
Yeah, but when you posted this photo of me to point out my warts, I thought it was a bit harsh, WartyMcWartface 
2 Likes
Large pot of salicylic acid on its way in the post. lol
2 Likes
If I thought you looked even remotely like that, Maree, I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to mention it. 
1 Like
Online friends?
As in real life, I have met some I would trust, and others I wouldn’t.
2 Likes
@Maree I’m sorry for your loss.
Yes, I do believe in online friends. I have a few friends from the forum that I email.
There’s one friend that I’ve spoken (voice and video) with and we keep in touch often.
1 Like
……
. Can you pass some my way too please?
Yes they are…and I’m currently very worried about my friend from Ukraine who fled Kyiv on day two of the war and has been incommunicado ever since.
They obviously have other things to worry about than contacting me but I’d like to know if they are okay and where they are.
5 Likes
Sorry to hear that. I hope your friend contacts you soon.
I do sometimes imagine some of you are real.
2 Likes